Soil Mechanics I

4 Compressibility
1. Isotropic compression
2. Nonlinearity
3. Overconsolidation; OC vs. creep
4. One-dimensional compression - parameters
5. Settlement (one-dimensional compressibility)
6. At-rest earth coefficient; Eoed vs E' for elastic material

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Isotropic Compression
Loading

- isotropic 1' = 2' = 3' = ' = p'; q = const.

- anisotropic 1'; 2'; 3' p'

p' 0 structural changes

(changes in position of soil grains) = compression
p' > 0 loose soil dense soil = change in porosity shown by (a) (b):

[1]
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Isotropic Compression
For isotropic compression (i.e. for q=const.):
Bulk Modulus K = dp' / dV const.

[1]
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Isotropic Compression
Isotropic compression
(semi)logarithmic plot in working
stress range is linear
loading
Normal Compression Line
NCL:
e = N ln p'
unloading reloading
e = e ln p'
Parameters for isotropic
compression: ; ; N
They are constants

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Overconsolidation

Skempton (1964)
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Overconsolidation

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Overconsolidation

overconsolidation stress = yield stress Y'

determination (from oedometer data)

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Overconsolidation
Overconsolidation Stress vs Creep
the meaning of overconsolidation stress - ???

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One Dimensional Compression

One-dimensional compression (oedometer)

V = - h / h0 = - e / (1+e0) s / h0
s settlement
Settlement calculation:
s = - e / (1+e0) h0 = V h0
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One Dimensional Compression

semi-logarithmic plot of stress vs e:
compressibility index Cc= - e / logv'
unloading: Ccr (or Cs 'swelling')
Cc is a real parameter constant (for working stress
range)
NB:

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In determining Cc, NCL must be measured (not the

compressibility at OC...)

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One Dimensional Compression

semi-logarithmic plot of stress vs :
modified compressibility index Cc= / logv'
unloading Cr (or Cs 'swelling')

V = - e / (1+e0) Cc= Cc /(1+e0)

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One Dimensional Compression

arithmetic plot of stress vs :
oedometer modulus Eoed= v' /
coefficient of volume change mv = 1 / Eoed

Not a real parameter not a constant depends on

stress level

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One Dimensional Compression

arithmetic plot of stress vs e:
coefficient of compressibility av = - e / v'
Not a real parameter not a constant depends on
stress level

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One Dimensional Compression

Settlement computation
s = - e / (1+e0) h0 = V h0
summing over layers: s = si

using different parameters:

s = Cc h0 / (1+e0) log ((v0' + v') / v0')
s = Cc h0 log ((v0' + v') / v0')
s = mv h0 v'

(mv not a constant)

s = h0 v' / Eoed

(Eoed not a constant)

v' change in effective stress

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One Dimensional Compression

Settlement computation OC soil
for example with Cc

s = Cr h0 log (p' / v0') + Cc h0 log ((v0' + v') / p')

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One Dimensional Compression

One-dimensional compression at rest coefficient K0
h 0
h = 1 / E' (h' ' (h' + v')) = 0
h' ' h' ' v' = 0
h' / v' = ' / (1 ' ) = K0 = at rest coefficient

NB:
1 The above definition of K0 is valid for elastic material only (Hooke's law
used);
With soils: ' not a constant

2 Effective stress ratio K0 constant for NC soil only (while NC soil is not
elastic at all)
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K0 vs Young's Modulus in Elasticity

Elastic relationship between Oedometer a Young's Moduli
Oedometer (v; h' = v' K0; h =0):
v = v' / Eoed'
Hooke's Law for a specimen in the oedometer:
v = 1 / E' (v' ' (h' + h')) = v' / E' (1 ' (2' / (1 '))
v = v' / E' (1 2'2 / (1 '))

1 / Eoed' = 1 / E' (1 2'2 / (1 '))

Eoed' = E' / (1 2'2 / (1 ')) for an elastic material only

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One Dimensional Compression Lab Class No 7

Kaolin Clay - Lab class No 7

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One Dimensional Compression

Typical values of parameters
Cc; Ccr Cc / 5
clay

Cc = 0,2 0,5

silt, silty clay

Cc = 0,15 0,3

sensitive clay

Cc > 1; Cc = 7-10

peat

Cc = 10 15

fine-grained soil

Eoed = 1 30 MPa

kaolin Lab Class

Eoed = 3 8 MPa

sand

Eoed = 5 100 MPa

gravel

Eoed = 20 500 MPa

Eoed

Oedometer modulus is stress dependent not a parameter

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Literature
Literaturefor
forthe
thecourse
courseSoil
SoilMechanics
MechanicsII
http://labmz1.natur.cuni.cz/~bhc/s/sm1/
Atkinson, J.H. (2007) The mechanics of soils and foundations. 2nd ed. Taylor & Francis.

Further reading:
Wood, D.M. (1990) Soil behaviour and critical state soil mechanics. Cambridge
Univ.Press.
Mitchell, J.K. and Soga, K (2005) Fundamentals of soil behaviour. J Wiley.
Atkinson, J.H: and Bransby, P.L. (1978) The mechanics of soils. McGraw-Hill, ISBN 007-084077-2.
Bolton, M. (1979) A guide to soil mechanics. Macmillan Press, ISBN 0-33318931-0.
Craig, R.F. (2004) Soil mechanics. Spon Press.
Holtz, R.D. and Kovacs, E.D. (1981) An introduction to geotechnical engineering,
Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-484394-0
Feda, J. (1982) Mechanics of particulate materials, Academia-Elsevier.)

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References used figures etc.

[1] Atkinson, J.H. (2007) The mechanics of soils and foundations. 2nd ed. Taylor & Francis.

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